Saturday, November 21, 2009

The US Senate tonight voted to allow debate on the Healthcare Reform bill to proceed. This vote, known as Invoking Cloture, takes 60 votes to pass -- which ends debate. The debate that ended was the debate on WHETHER to allow the healthcare bill to come to the floor for consideration. IT WAS NOT A VOTE ON PASSING THE BILL.

By Invoking Cloture -- the Senate voted to cut off a Fillibuster -- which is endless debate, and is used as a tactic to keep some legislation from every being voted upon.

Now, the Senate will take the bill up in debate on the floor after Thanksgiving break.

But there remains MAJOR oppostion to the bill -- even among Democratic Senators --- and the chances of the bill passing the Senate remains very questionable.

“When we met with Roland Burris in January, we made it clear that in order for him to be seated in the U.S. Senate he needed to appear before the Illinois General Assembly to testify openly, honestly and completely about the nature of his relationship with the former governor, his associates and the circumstances surrounding this appointment.”

“Since then, the accuracy and completeness of his testimony and affidavits have been called into question. The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee has completed its review into this matter and found that Sen. Burris actions have brought discredit on him and the Senate. The letter of qualified admonition from the Ethics Committee speaks for itself.”

"It is quite sad, that the only way in which Congressman Hare can create jobs is by filling an empty prison with Islamic terrorists. This shouldn't even be an option. There are plenty of states across the country that don't need a terrorist prison to create jobs. I can think of at least 10 better ways to bring jobs back to Illinois, other than sacrificing our security by bringing terrorists here.

"More than being sad, it is quite disappointing that Congressman Hare supports this measure. This will put Al-Qaeda terrorists within 50 miles of our children. It is unacceptable.

"I have been traveling the district, meeting with employers and workers, for a little less than a year now. Jobs aren't coming to the district because employers are punished at every turn they take. Congressman Hare should take a tour across the district to meet with employers and find out why they can't create more jobs, instead of bringing terrorists into our state.

"With skyrocketing debt and corrupt politicians, the last thing that Illinois is in need of is Al-Qaeda terrorists."

Schilling, a native of Rock Island, has served as a local union steward and also has 13 years of union experience. Schilling, a local business owner and father of nine children, is running on a platform of bringing jobs and real representation back to the 17th district.

For more information about Bobby Schilling please visit his website at www.bobby2010.com.

“In this time of economic challenge and large budget deficits, we need officials who will serve as the taxpayers' watchdog,” Claypool said. “I am convinced that Raja can be the kind of comptroller we need to cut the waste and fraud from state government while protecting the vital services it must provide.”

Krishnamoorthi also proposed a three-point pay-for-performance salary plan to make state government more sensitive and responsive to the pressures of the economic recession that has left millions of families without jobs or facing pay cuts and reductions in benefits.

“Few are getting pay raises, if they're fortunate enough to have a job,” Krishnamoorthi said. “It's time for public officials to acknowledge the pain these families face by reining in their own endless appetite for pay raises and cost-of-living adjustments.”

Claypool is the former Superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District, a $400 million government agency with 3,200 employees. Like Krishnamoorthi, he served as Deputy Illinois Treasurer, and he also was Chief of Staff to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.

“People throw around the term 'reformer' and often apply it to public officials who don't really deserve it,” Krishnamoorthi said. “But Forrest Claypool has proved that he's no fake reformer. He has fought hard, often in the minority, to change county government for the better - making it more open and responsive to the people it's supposed to serve.”

Krishnamoorthi's three-point pay-for-performance salary plan would do the following:

Publish salaries of all legislators, judges and executive officials online, along with the salaries of their staffs (with 5 year historical breakdown)

Prohibit automatic cost-of-living-adjustments (COLAs) in any budget year and prohibit salary increases or COLAs in any budget year not having a balanced state government budget

Refuse salary increases or COLAs while serving as Comptroller until Illinois has a balanced budget

“Serving in elected office is a privilege, not a prize,” Krishnamoorthi said. “Governing should not be about pay raises and patronage. It should be about providing open, transparent and responsive service to taxpayers.”

Krishnamoorthi served as a Special Assistant Attorney General, helping to establish an anti-corruption unit, and as Deputy Treasurer of Illinois, he helped bring significant reforms to the office and oversaw the custody and administration of billions of dollars in state funds.

Previously, Krishnamoorthi served as a board member and audit committee chairman of the Illinois Housing Development Authority where he helped thousands of Illinois families find affordable housing.

If elected, Krishnamoorthi would become the first Asian American to hold elected statewide office in Illinois. A lawyer and policy expert, Krishnamoorthi, 36, worked on President Barack Obama’s successful 2004 campaign for the U.S. Senate, serving first as issues director and then as a senior adviser. Krishnamoorthi also advised Obama during his presidential campaign and his 2000 congressional campaign.

“It appears that Governor Quinn’s only plan to cut spending and create jobs is free prisoners and bring terrorists to Illinois. I wholeheartedly oppose Governor Quinn and President Obama's efforts to move Gitmo detainees to our neighborhoods. This shows how out of touch Governor Quinn really is."

Andy McKenna and Matt Murphy recognize that the Thomson Correctional Center is underutilized, but this is not the direction we should take to maximize the facilities operations.

Senator Bill Brady, Republican candidate for Governor, today issued the following statement regarding a proposal by President Obama and Governor Quinn to move Guantanamo Bay detainees to Thomson Correctional Center:

“I have grave concerns about shutting down Guantanamo Bay and moving dangerous enemy combatants to Illinois or any other facility on United States soil. These are individuals who pose a terrorist threat to our nation, and I do not believe housing them inside our national borders is wise, from a security standpoint or an economic standpoint. Certainly the cost of housing them at Thomson would be a federal budget issue, but providing heightened security outside the prison walls would most certainly be necessary and be a cost borne by Illinois taxpayers.

“I am committed, as Governor, to opening Thomson Correctional Center immediately to house the growing numbers of inmates within our state correctional system. Governor Quinn, even as he is releasing offenders before completion of their sentences, is moving to expand the state correctional system. With Thomson nearly empty, I question the logic of building selling off Thomson while building new state prison facilities.”

“We are thrilled to receive the endorsement of the New Trier Township Republicans,” said McKenna. “It’s clear that Tolbert Chisum and his organization agree with our message of putting Illinois’ fiscal house in order and we thank them for their support.”

Andy is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He has been married to his wife, Mary, for 29 years, and they have raised four children. Mary is a longtime schoolteacher, and two of their children have followed her into that profession.

Despite a crowded field of seven candidates, Proft garnered the most votes on the first ballot, tying with Andy McKenna on the second ballot, resulting in a dual endorsement of Proft and McKenna.

“I'm deeply honored by this very important win for our campaign, winning this endorsement on Andy McKenna's home turf,” said Proft. “I want to thank Committeeman Tolbert Chisum and the entire New Trier Township Republican Organization.”

“In order to win in November, our party’s nominee must be able to run strong and win in suburban Cook County. This endorsement is a strong signal that those working in the precincts in Cook believe I am the candidate whose message is best connecting with their neighbors.”

“Just like the Schaumburg GOP, who endorsed my candidacy last week, the New Trier GOP gets it," added Proft. "To win in 2010, our party must present qualitatively different leadership. We must take the fight to the entrenched political class in Springfield, those Chicago Democrats whose policies have destroyed our state’s economy, on behalf of people who play by the rules and who have been gamed by a state government they finance. And we must bring policy revolution to Springfield—tax cuts and spending caps; school choice in K-12; market reforms of Medicaid; restructuring of state pension systems; and conservation of our transportation infrastructure. This is the only way back for our party and our state.”

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Senator Bill Brady, Republican candidate for Governor, released the following statement today:

Gov. Quinn needs to lift the death penalty moratorium that was unjustly imposed in Illinois nearly a decade ago. No Governor has the right to put themselves in front of the law of the land.

The death penalty should be a punishment available to prosecutors for the extreme and heinous crimes in society today. I support capital punishment, particularly for those criminals who would continue to impose a threat to society even while behind bars.

We have worked to put in place sufficient safeguards to prevent unfair prosecutions and innocent people from being put to death. That is why I am calling on Gov. Quinn to lift the moratorium, effective immediately.

“This election is pivotal to our future and I am confident Andy McKenna and Matt Murphy are the right team to lead our state out of the fiscal nightmare the Democrats have created,” said Cross.

Cross, who led the fight to defeat the Democrats’ plans to increase taxes during the last legislative session, will serve as a Co-Chairman of the McKenna/Murphy ticket in part due to their shared view of opposing tax hikes.

“Leader Cross’ endorsement underscores the momentum that grows each day with our message of cutting spending, lowering taxes and creating jobs in Illinois,” said McKenna.

Leader Cross is the second major endorsement of the McKenna/Murphy ticket. Lake County Republican Chairman Dan Venturi personally endorsed the team last week.

“I am honored to have Leader Cross’ support of our campaign to create jobs and ease the tax burden on the hardworking families in Illinois,” added Murphy.

Cross, McKenna and Murphy announced the endorsement at stops in both Chicago and Springfield.

Tom Cross represents the 84th State House District which encompasses portions of Kendall, Will and DuPage Counties. He has been House Republican Leader since 2003.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Captain Nathan Hale, a 21-year old officer in the Continental Army and a Yale man, uttered those famous words upon his execution at the hands of British forces.

233 years later--and in all the years in between--those words define the spirit of America's servicemen.

Our young men and women in the armed forces are quite a precocious bunch by trade.They choose to answer a transcendental calling. They fill the void left by the patriots of previous generations to provide the vigilance required to preserve freedoms that may be God-given on paper but have always been hard-won in practice. They have an innate sense of history that evades the comprehension of tenured faculty at many of our nation's universities.

How many 20-year-olds do you know who are prepared to sacrifice their dreams and lay down their lives to advance the rights and dreams of strangers? The only ones I have ever met have been in uniform.

Their love of country has often and ashamedly gone unrequited. But no matter how many times our soldiers were under-funded in battle and under-rewarded at home, they have steadfastly served as exemplars for what America is and should be.

As someone who never served in the military, I know that not even Steven Spielberg can convey a true appreciation for the valor, the sense of honor, and the shared experience of America's freedom warriors.

Veterans Day for me then is a time to recall the sacrifice, honor the memory, and celebrate the lives of Nathan Hale and the tens of millions of American soldiers, including my departed grandfather, who for nearly two-and-a-half centuries have formed the soul of the greatest nation the world has ever seen.

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Consider Operation Homefront-Illinois

Over the last couple of years, I have had the privilege to serve on the board of Operation Homefront-Illinois. Operation Homefront is a national non-profit with 30 state chapters that serves active duty military families with a spouse overseas and wounded warriors coming home. I currently serve as the Board Chairman of the Illinois chapter.

Our niche in the constellation of exceptional charities that serve military families is to provide tangible constituent service to Illinois servicemen and their families. We’ll get a leaky roof repaired, replace a broken water heater, pay a cell phone bill, get the transmission replaced in the family car: the exigencies of everyday life that many of us take for granted but present urgent challenges to military families.

Working with Homefront has been both an uplifting and a frustrating experience. The uplifting part is the toughness of military families who sacrifice so much and desire very little in return. The uplifting part is seeing volunteers come forward to help organize and run events like our Back-to-School Backpack Brigade program where we distribute school supplies to children of active duty military in Illinois.

The frustrating part has been to witness the struggles military families have in Illinois, particularly when those struggles come as the direct result of political leaders at the state and federal level who fail to keep our promises to our veterans. We want to do more.

We cannot content ourselves to remember our veterans solely on holidays. Please consider getting involved to support Operation Homefront-Illinois, your local VFW post or American Legion hall, or another organization that serves our military families in your community.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

CHICAGO – The Illinois Republican Party today called on the Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) to expel the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) from its coalition due to its links to the Hamas terrorist organization and leadership in promoting anti-Israel and anti-Semitic activities in the Chicago area.

“Given CAIR’s reported ties to Hamas terrorist supporters, its anti-Israel organizing and its tolerance for anti-Semitic discourse, we call on ICIRR to expel CAIR from its coalition immediately,” Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady said. “This should not be a partisan issue. All political candidates, Republican or Democrat, should condemn ICIRR for counting a group like CAIR as a member.”

According its Web site, ICIRR’s membership includes CAIR. In March, the Chicago Tribune reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) had cut ties with CAIR, which was named as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism case.

In Chicago, CAIR was the lead sponsor of a number of troubling rallies against Israel earlier this year. Rally participants held signs reading “Jews are the terrorist,” “Mossad did 9-11,” “Death to the Jews,” and “Death to Israel.” The anti-Semitic rallies were condemned by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Anti-Defamation League.

When pressed about anti-Semitic signage at the rallies, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab told the Chicago Tribune, “As hundreds of innocent human lives are crushed in full view of the world by a belligerent Israeli government, I find it appalling that some on the pro-Israeli side are better concerned with cardboard paper.”

Former Deputy Illinois Treasurer Raja (RA-ja) Krishnamoorthi (krish-nuh-MOOR-thee) today blasted State Rep. David Miller and one of Miller's Facebook supporters for challenging Krishnamoorthi’s petitions of candidacy for Illinois State Comptroller, charging that Miller's campaign was trying to deny Democratic primary voters a progressive alternative to business as usual.

“I’ve been running for this office for months with detailed plans to protect the taxpayers and open up state government to its citizens,” Krishnamoorthi said. “My campaign collected thousands of signatures from voters throughout our state who are tired of business as usual and want to bring real reform and openness to Springfield.”

Krishnamoorthi filed the maximum number of 10,000 nominating petition signatures on October 26 with the Illinois State Board of Elections. More than double the 5,000 signatures required by state law to get on the February primary ballot, the signatures for Krishnamoorthi came from more than 50 counties throughout the state of Illinois.

“The challenge to my petitions is nothing less than harassment and intimidation,” Krishnamoorthi said. “As the endorsed candidate of the Cook County Democratic Organization, Miller's campaign is using heavy-handed insider tactics to limit access to the ballot and deny voters an alternative to the business as usual he represents.”

Krishnamoorthi noted that the name of the challenger to his petitions, Emily Svitak, appears on the social networking site Facebook as a supporter of Miller’s. He called on Miller, in the interest of honesty and transparency, to admit that his campaign is behind the petition challenge and to withdraw its complaint.

“As a longtime state legislator who has voted repeatedly to increase his own salary, David Miller is practiced in the art of insider politics,” Krishnamoorthi said. “His petition challenge is doomed to failure. The voters of Illinois have had enough, and they’re not going to take it anymore.”

Krishnamoorthi served as a Special Assistant Attorney General, helping to establish an anti-corruption unit, and as Deputy Treasurer of Illinois, he helped bring significant reforms to the office and oversaw the custody and administration of billions of dollars in state funds. Previously, Krishnamoorthi served as a board member and audit committee chairman of the Illinois Housing Development Authority where he helped thousands of Illinois families find affordable housing.

If elected, Krishnamoorthi would become the first Asian American to hold elected statewide office in Illinois. A lawyer and policy expert, Krishnamoorthi, 36, worked on President Barack Obama’s successful 2004 campaign for the U.S. Senate, serving first as issues director and then as a senior adviser. Krishnamoorthi also advised Obama during his presidential campaign and his 2000 congressional campaign.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias today announced the expansion of a state-run loan program so military personnel who experience financial difficulties have access to low-interest loans after their deployment ends.

Giannoulias’ office will now partner with local lenders to offer low-interest “Welcome Home Loans” to members of the Illinois National Guard and U.S. Military Reserve within six months of their honorable discharge from duty.

The Welcome Home Loans are available for up to $10,000 and their interest rate is capped at 3 percent. Previously, Guard and Reserve members were only eligible for the Citizen Soldier Program while on active duty.

“The debt we owe our citizen soldiers who have left behind their families and jobs to risk their lives for our freedom is immeasurable,” said Giannoulias, who unveiled the expanded Citizen Soldier program with local veterans during stops in Chicago, the Quad Cities area and Springfield. “We must do more to assist our military service members and their families when they encounter economic hardship upon returning home.”

There are more than 25,000 Reservists and National Guard members in Illinois, including 3,200 who returned home from Iraq last month and would be eligible for a Welcome Home Loan.

Giannoulias noted that the loans would serve as an alternative to predatory lenders and payday loan operators who prey on military families, especially during these difficult times. Although Congress has taken action to curb predatory practices targeting military personnel, the Center for Responsible Lending has singled out Illinois as a case where loopholes in federal law exist.

“Citizen soldiers should not have to take out a high-interest loan from a payday lender to cover their living expenses and wind up in an endless cycle of debt,” Giannoulias added. “These shady storefront operators are preying on those who are often at risk and deserve much better.”

Federal law enacted in 2007 caps the annual percentage rate on payday loans at 36 percent for service members and their families. But the law only applies to service members on active duty, while recently discharged military personnel remain vulnerable to these predatory practices.

Illinois law also places restrictions on payday loan operators, but the measure only applies to loans spanning 120 days. As a result, payday lenders have found ways around the law by offering loans of 121 days or longer, which enables them to charge whatever they want, in some cases up to 700 percent.

“The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs supports the Citizen Soldiers program,” said Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Dan Grant. “This is an outstanding and innovative way to protect Illinois service members, who are already sacrificing so much, from predatory lending and other dubious financial practices that would take advantage of them.”

In addition to expanding the eligibility requirements, Giannoulias intends to increase marketing of the program and offer financial education outreach to service members and their families.

The Welcome Home Loans are part of the Citizen Soldiers Program, which is offered through the State Treasurer’s Office. Under the program, the Treasurer’s Office deposits money in financial institutions throughout Illinois to “buy down” the interest rate on loans to qualified borrowers. The 1 percent return the state gets from the deposit actually provides a boost to its investment portfolio as the rate gained through other investments have a lower return as the financial markets struggle to recover.

To date, the Treasurer’s Office has funded a total of 398 Citizen Soldier loans for active-duty military personnel totaling $3.5 million.

(Chicago, IL) Eric Wallace, Republican candidate for US Senate seat in Illinois, has announced that he is withdrawing from the Republican primary. Though Dr. Wallace, has energized voters across the state with a fresh new look for the Republican Party and has collected more than enough signatures to be placed on the primary ballot, he decided not to file in Springfield prior to the 5pm November 2nd deadline.

Wallace had placed among the top three favorites among the other Republican candidates at straw polls held throughout the state.”

Rev. Wallace commented, “I have decided to withdraw from the primary race and not to file as a Republican candidate for US Senate. Too much is at stake for the citizens of Illinois in this race and I have decided to put my personal ambitions aside to prevent the splitting of “true” conservative and Christian votes in the primary and thereby handing the nomination uncontested to Mark Kirk.”

“I don’t want to be responsible for handing this primary to Mark Kirk because my fellow conservatives and I split the vote in the Republican Party. Defeating Kirk has to take first priority because he is neither an economic nor social conservative. Look at his voting record. On fiscal and economic growth issues, he has one of the lowest rankings of any Republican as reported by the “Club for Growth Congressional Scorecard.” In fact, there are Democrats that rate higher than his 42% (www.clubforgrowth.org). On social issues and traditional values, “The Family Research Council’s Congressional Scorecard shows that 36 Democratic Congressman vote in support of traditional families (“the natural family”) more often than Kirk’s 17% score (www.frcaction.org). He is Illinois best example of a true R.I.N.O. (“Republican in Name Only”).

Wallace continued, "We have seen what can happen when the people take a stand and rally against an "R.I.N.O." candidate (i.e., New York State's congressional race). I hope our efforts result in a conservative win in our Illinois Republican primary. If that doesn’t happen, I will re-examine the situation. Many of my conservative and Christian supporters have asked me to consider entering the race as an independent. Hopefully, that will not be necessary and I can focus on helping the conservative Republican candidate through adoption of my “CONTRACT WITH ILLINOIS” and my L.I.F.T. Principles (Limited government, Individual freedom and responsibility, Free enterprise and Traditional family values) principles to help solve social and economic problems.

Dr. Wallace plans to continue speaking, writing and promoting conservative ideas among non-traditional Republican constituencies such as blacks, urban voters, and inner-city churches. Through Wallace Multimedia group, LLC, Dr. Wallace currently publishes Freedom’s Journal Magazine (FJM)—an online political magazine named after the first African-American newspaper. FJM (http://www.freedomsjournalmagazine.com/index.php) is a conservative Christian political journal with a biblical worldview targeted at the African-American community. Dr. Wallace’s most recent book is “Integrity of Faith: One Man’s Spiritual Journey Reflected in His Family, Work and Politics” available from Integrity Books (www.integritybooks.net).